Command line emulator options

Learn about command line options for iSeries™ Access for Linux^® 5250 emulator.

The format of the command line to invoke a 5250 emulator session is:

ibm5250 iSeries_system_name optional_parameters 

    where:

ibm5250 is the application name and is case sensitive.
iSeries_system_name specifies the name of the server with which the 5250 emulation session communicates. The name is a host name or an IP address. The user is prompted when this field is not specified.
optional_parameters specifies optional parameters.

The two main command line entries for configuring the iSeries Access for Linux emulator are:

ibm5250 - This application invokes the 5250 emulator and displays a graphical user interface (GUI) for entering the system name, userid, and password. This information is used to obtain a 5722-XW1 license and initiate a 5250 session. Type ibm5250 --help to see command line options.
setup5250 - This is the setup program that is used to configure global values that are applied to all 5250 sessions, userid's, and multiple connections. Once the initial 5250 program is started, reference the online help text for additional configuration options. The setup5250 program also allows for the creation and launching of customized ibm5250 sessions.

You can use the following case sensitive, optional parameters on the 5250 command line:

-title Case sensitive title text follows this parameter. If the title text contains a space, the title text must be within double quotes. The title text is displayed in the 5250 session window overriding the 5250 window title text resource value. Title text is truncated if longer than thirty characters. When the 5250 session dialogue (menu pull down) is used to start another 5250 session, the same title is used.
-TITLE_OPTION is followed by one of the following: TEXT_AND_SESSION_ID (default), TEXT_ONLY, SESSION_ID_ONLY, TEXT_HOST_AND_SESSIONID, or TEXT_AND_HOST.
-wide Either enable or disable should follow and are case sensitive. This parameter enables or disables 27x132 support. The default is enable.
-image Either enable or disable should follow and are case sensitive. This parameter enables or disables image/fax viewing. The default is enable.
-LARGEST_IMAGE A 3 or 4 digit numeric parameter follows which indicates the maximum source image/fax size which is displayed. The parameter indicates the number of thousands of bytes that are accepted. The 5250 emulator has a default value of 400, displaying an image or fax up to 400,000 bytes in size. This parameter is undocumented in help text.
-LANGID A 5 digit parameter follows which contains the locale that is used. The –LANGID overrides the Linux environment variable $LANG and determines the conversions that are used on the OS400 data stream. The emulator window decorations are determined by the $LANG or –LANGID value of the first emulator session that is started.
-geometry Window width, window height, x offset, and y offset follow (WWxWH+Xoffset+Yoffset). The 5250 window is placed according to these values. The window size parameters are adjusted as necessary to fit the font that fills the window. -geometry 9999x9999+0+0 provides the maximized window, using the largest font that fits a particular monitor resolution.
-playback or -PLAYBACK A case sensitive file name of a 5250 playback file follows. This function enables autologon so users are not required to reenter their userid's and passwords. This function also enables starting a playback file, which allows users to display a specific iSeries server screen. The playback file is from the user's playback directory or a default playback file.
-keypad or -KEYPAD Use this parameter to start a popup keypad window when the 5250 emulator session starts. A case sensitive popup keypad file name follows. Specify multiple -keypad command line options to start multiple popup keypad windows. The keypad file is from your keypad directory or from the default keypad file.
-KEYFILE Use this parameter to specify a user-named keyboard remapping file that is used for the 5250 emulator session. A case sensitive keyboard remapping file name follows, including the keyboard type file extension.
-DISPLAY_NAME is followed by one parameter. The following rules apply to i5/OS™ 5250 session names:
- Each active 5250 session must have a unique session name.
- The first character must be an alpha character.
- All characters must be alpha, numeric, a period, or an underscore.
- All alpha characters must be upper case.
- Session names must be 2 to 10 characters in length.
-SESSION_ID is followed by an ID for the 5250 session. The session ID text is upper or lower case and up to 20 characters in length. If there is a space in the session ID text, the session ID text must be enclosed within double quotes.
Note: +n is also supported where n is a numeric digit between 1 and 99. No spaces are allowed between the text and +n.
-EURO, -Euro, -euro, and -NOEURO specify whether or not the European monetary symbol is used. This command line option is ignored for languages that do not support the Euro symbol.
-port or -PORT allows a 5250 session to use a port number other than the default. For non-SSL telnet, the default port number is 23. A 1 to 4 digit port number follows the command line option.
-INACTIVITY is followed by a numeric parameter from 0 to 9999. This option specifies whether the telnet connection is disconnected or reconnected, after a specified time of inactivity. The default value is 0 which indicates that inactivity is not monitored.
-BLOCK_COPY specifies that the 5250 emulator defaults to block copy, as opposed to linear copy, when marking an area for copy or cut. Block copy occurs by a double click of the mouse button while linear copy means pressing and dragging the primary mouse button to mark the desired area. If this option is not specified, linear copy is the default.
-NO_COPY_PASTE specifies that the emulator does not allow copy, cut, or paste into or out of the emulator session.
-SESSION_COPY_PASTE_ONLY specifies that the 5250 emulator only allows copy, cut, and paste within the emulator session.
-COPY_PASTE specifies the emulator allows copy, cut, and paste into and out of the emulator session.
-BROWSER_START specifies that the emulator code recognize a URL hot spot. This option defaults to unavailable because not all users have browser access. If this option is specified and the user clicks on a valid URL hot spot, the command specified in the system environment variable $BROWSER is called with the URL passed as an option. The user must define the system variable $BROWSER as the browser name that is used. A fully qualified name or a name found in the system path is specified. If the environment variable is not found or is not valid, a browser is not started.
-RETRY_COUNT specifies whether to try to reconnect if a communication error occurs and the 5250 session is disconnected. A numeric parameter follows with a value between 0 and 9999. Zero indicates that any reconnect is attempted manually. One to 9999 indicates the number of automatic retries that are attempted. The default is 144.
-RETRY_INTERVAL specifies the automatic retry count in seconds. A numeric parameter follows with a value from 1 to 9999; the default value is 300 (5 minutes).
-NO_DESKTOP_FILE The emulator supports reading and writing a desktop file to remember the user's last window location and font size. This option disables the ability to read and write the desktop file.
-debug or -DEBUG displays verbose messaging while the emulator runs.
-trace or -TRACE traces Telnet activity between the emulator and host OS/400^®.
-sso or -SSO bypasses the signon screen.
-kerberos authentication used for getting a license and bypassing signon when used with the -sso parameter.
-IBMCURLIB specifies the current library when used with the -sso parameter.
-IBMIMENU specifies the initial menu when used with the -sso parameter.
-IBMPROGRAM specifies the initial program when used with the -sso parameter.